Hunting for the best steak in SWFL: Carmelo's Italian Ristorante

Hunting for the best steak in SWFL: Carmelo's Italian Ristorante I'M ON THE HUNT FOR THE BEST STEAK IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, AND ALL MY FRIENDS IN PUNTA GORDA TELLS ME IT'S AT CARMELO'S 321 W Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda, FL 33950 CARMELO'S ITALIAN Ristorante FIRST THINGS FIRST. I NEED TO ORDER AN OLD FASHIONED. THIS ONE WAS SOLID. NO COMPLAINTS AT ALL. NINE OUT OF TEN. NOW ON TO THE MAIN EVENT. I ORDERED THEIR RIBEYE, AND I HAD HIGH EXPECTATIONS. WE WENT TO THIS SPOT ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT OUT OF SEASON, AND WE NEED RESERVATIONS JUST TO GET IN AT 8:00. SO THAT MEANS THE CHEF MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, AND IT REALLY PAINS MY SOUL TO SAY THIS, THE STEAK WAS VERY UNDERWHELMING. I MEAN, THE PRESENTATION WAS GOOD. THE TWO SIDES WERE DELICIOUS. THESE WERE PARMESAN, TRUFFLE, MASHED POTATOES. JUST LOOK AT THAT CHEESE PULL. BEAUTIFUL. BUT THE STEAK ITSELF, IT JUST FELT LIKE A PIECE PUBLIX AND GRILL AT HOME. IT WAS A VERY THIN PIECE I ORDER IT MEDIUM RARE, IT CAME OUT SUPER RARE. AND THE GOOD FLAVOUR WAS REALLY CONTINGENT ON THE COMPOUND BUTTER, BUT THERE WAS JUST WAY TOO WAS IT THE WORST THING I'VE EVER EATEN? ABSOLUTELY NOT. DID I STILL ENJOY YES. IS THIS STEAK BEING JUDGED UNFAIRLY BECAUSE OF MY HIGH EXPECTATIONS? MAYBE. BUT WITH ALL THAT BEING I WOULD GIVE THIS STEAK A BRENDON LESLIE'S STEAK RATING 6.8 BRENDON LESLIE'S SWFL STEAK RATING HUNTING FOR THE BEST STEAK IN SWFL: CARMELO'S ITALIAN RISTORANTE 1 ACQUA BISTECCA 9.6 2 THE VERANDA 9.2 3 PRIME HOUSE STEAKHOUSE 9.1 4 OISE RISTORANTE 8.9 5 CHOPS CITY GRILL 8.7 6 PRIME SERIOUS STEAK 8.5 6 SAGE ON 47TH 8.1 6 EMBER KOREAN STEAKHOUSE 8.1 7 MASTELIO STEAKHOUSE 7.9 8 CIBO 7.7 9 GATHER 7.4 9 CLASE AZUL 7.4 10 CARMELO'S ITALIAN RISTORANTE 6.8 11 AQUA SEAFOOD, STEAKS & RAW BAR 2.2 HERE'S MY LIST OF RANKINGS FOR ALL THE STEAKS THAT I HAVE REVIEWED IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. BUT I DO NOT WANNA BE COMPLETELY NEGATIVE. THIS IS A POSITIVE REVIEW. THIS RESTAURANT WAS AWESOME. I WILL MOST CERTAINLY BE GOING BACK FOR THEIR ITALIAN DISHES. BEFORE THE STEAK, I GOT THIS AWESOME BADA BING PASTA DISH. THE CHEF'S FATHER COMES OUT TO THE TABLE, FIRES UP THE PAN, HEATS UP THE PASTA, PUTS THE PASTA IN THIS HUGE PARMESAN CHEESE WHEEL, AND THEN SCRAPES UP THE PASTA, MIXES IT WITH ALL THAT CHEESE, PUTS IT BACK INTO THE PAN WITH THE PROSCIUTTO AND THE BRUSCHETTA, AND THEN MIXES IT ALL UP AND SERVES IT TO YOU RIGHT IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE. IT WAS THE PASTA WAS DELICIOUS. AND I'M NOT A PASTA GUY, BUT THIS PASTA WAS LIKE A SOLID 9.8 OUT OF 10. SO I KNOW THE STEAK WAS BUT THIS REALLY IS AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT AND I WOULD 100% GO BACK FOR THAT. CHEF. THEY REALLY CARE. THEY MAKE EVERYTHING IN HOUSE FROM SCRATCH. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING BACK TO CARMELS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. ALRIGHT, WHERE DO YOU THINK I'LL FIND THE BEST STEAK IN SOUTHWEST MAKE SURE TO COMMENT YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND I JUST MIGHT SHOW UP IN THE NEXT REVIEW.